Research: Plants die out even from small concentration of nitrogen (Part 2)
Scientists have faced the phenomenon of replacement of less nitrogen-dependent plants from the community not for the first time. In 1980s in Holland because of general use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers, in ground got up to 100 kg of nitrogen per hectare in a year. Result was the sharp change of vegetative community: the deserted area became covered with grass, and then gradually began covered with wood. After that the amount of nitrogenous connections brought in ground has been reduced, however it all the same exceeded an average level.
Nitrogenous compounds are emitted in an atmosphere by factories and automobiles and carried by wind. From an atmosphere they get into the ground. Thus, even in forest reserves and national parks nitrogen content in ground raises.
Ecologist Katharine Sading from University of California considers that the specific structure in vegetative communities can be restored by reduction of nitrogen emissions in an atmosphere. Plants which have been replaced can be restored from the seeds brought by wind. However full restoration of species’ communities can take a lot of time.